This goes along with my comments when I started the EDS thread. I think that CB and WR have enough depth on our team where we should concentrate on other areas of need. If Byrd really wants $9 million a year, we could have had him instead of Shields and I think that would have helped our defense a lot more. I also agree with the author about being happy that we still have Sam. He's a great kid and I'm willing to put a premium on good character.

This goes along with my comments when I started the EDS thread. I think that CB and WR have enough depth on our team where we should concentrate on other areas of need. If Byrd really wants $9 million a year, we could have had him instead of Shields and I think that would have helped our defense a lot more. I also agree with the author about being happy that we still have Sam. He's a great kid and I'm willing to put a premium on good character.

Agree with some of the points. We're not going to improve this defense by keeping it the same. The status quo is not cutting it and they should recognize that by now.

That said, that doesn't mean you just cut and gut everyone. There can still be good players on a bad defense, and Shields is one of them.

In addition, we're hardly finalizing our 2014 roster right now. Just because Shields is back doesn't mean everyone else will be. If we do nothing in free agency and do little in the draft to improve our immediate situation, then okay, I'm on board with this article. But March 10th is a little early to conclude anything about our final roster.

While I understand the need to have both sides of the argument, I don't understand some of the points raised in the link.

For instance, " the only receivers who got the best of Sam last season were Anquan Boldin in the opener and Pierre Garcon in garbage time. That’s pretty good in isolation, but still doesn’t place him at an elite level in the league"...seeing that he plays in a division with Calvin Johnson, Marhsall and Jeffrey AND we played AJ Green, Josh Gordon and Dez Bryant (yeah, Shields wasn't on those guys every snap) I would say that only getting beat by a guy on opening day and in garbage time DOES qualify as elite.

The article says that Shields salary jumps next season, almost guaranteeing the departure of Williams, but Williams is a free agent next season? Who would you rather have, a good, 27 year old CB who is improving or a 32 year old corner who is good but not improving?

But my biggest issue is that he talks about keeping Shields around as some kind of luxury, just assuming that a corner group of Williams/Hayward/House/Hyde will be perfectly fine all season and that we'll use Shields' money to sign a linebacker and safety. That analysis is not complete. The author is assuming that we will DEFINITELY sign other defensive players, who will all work out, with the money given to Shields. The fact is that the staff KNOWS Shields can work out on the defense and the front office didn't have to hope, cajole some other team's player into coming to Green Bay. The front office didn't have to get into an overt bidding war to re-sign Shields.

I'd say there's about $2 - 3 million per yer in Sheild's contract that serves as an expression that Williams will not be with the team in 2015. Contracts are not just about the market value game. Premiums get paid for guys that are difficult to replace; valuable players are allowed to walk if a promising replacement is in the wings.

Replacing both Shields and Williams over the next 14 months would be difficult, or at least entail a high level of risk. Paying the younger guy with some upside reduces the difficulty and risk considerably, and a premium was paid to do it.

The word elite gets dropped around NFL fandom like the word "best friend" gets dropped by a 20 year old sorority girl. There should only be a maximum of 5 (most of the time less), stop trying to push the limits and use a different word damn it.

We can still upgrade at other positions on defense easily even with this Shields contract. We just have to look at bargain players. Lets be honest with ourselves a minute. Almost ANYONE would be an upgrade over all of our LBs besides Matthews and almost ANYONE would be upgrade over Jennings at safety. In other words, we already have nowhere to go but UP at these positions. Same can be said about our NT situation. Almost anything we do this offseason regarding our defense, will be an upgrade damn near.

Everyone likes Shields. What is there not to like? Runs a 4.3 went undrafted and is a top 20 corner in the NFL.

This defense is broken and one of the worst in the NFL. The only position of strength is at corner and we over pay a corner. For me this screams TT just doesn't get it. FA starts tomorrow maybe TT is very active and signs some solid FAs we'll see.

If TT signs some impact players than I can live with this. I am even fine with cutting Tramon if it meant getting Byrd, Ward or Houston.

Everyone likes Shields. What is there not to like? Runs a 4.3 went undrafted and is a top 20 corner in the NFL.

This defense is broken and one of the worst in the NFL. The only position of strength is at corner and we over pay a corner. For me this screams TT just doesn't get it. FA starts tomorrow maybe TT is very active and signs some solid FAs we'll see.

If TT signs some impact players than I can live with this. I am even fine with cutting Tramon if it meant getting Byrd, Ward or Houston.

We needed to keep Sam Shields. His numbers against top receivers are very impressive and he earned the contract playing against those guys with an absent pass rush most of the time. He he is a very good "cover corner". The only knock is his size but he is very good at timing his jumps and getting to ball while the receiver is trying to come down with the ball. He is good at getting to the ball at the highest point. He uses his body extremely well to position himself against bigger receivers and uses sideline well too when positioning himself against receivers. He has had some injuries but was mostly healthy in 2013. Pack might of pulled out that niner playoff game had he not got injured. The deal was only a 5.8 million dollar hit to cap this year. The third year of the contract offers flexibility to kind of re-evaluate the situation. Most reports around the league have Shields as an ascending corner. With a premium safety added everyone has to feel good about our secondary. Lot of talent there with depth. Good mix of veterans with nice future potential from younger talent. Burnett is the only problem I see there but all we can do is hope he turns it around this up-coming season. Maybe a move to strong safety would help. I keep on saying it but I will say it one more time. Speed at middle linebacker and a safety that can fly around and make plays will do wonders. Raji to nose and maybe another book-end that can get up field. Oh yeah, staying healthy would help too.

I don't think TT over pay for Shields... He would probably gotten more money in free agency. TT made an offer both sides were happy with, its a good contract.. Shields will hopefully will only get better..

We needed to keep Sam Shields. His numbers against top receivers are very impressive and he earned the contract playing against those guys with an absent pass rush most of the time. He he is a very good "cover corner". The only knock is his size but he is very good at timing his jumps and getting to ball while the receiver is trying to come down with the ball. He is good at getting to the ball at the highest point. He uses his body extremely well to position himself against bigger receivers and uses sideline well too when positioning himself against receivers. He has had some injuries but was mostly healthy in 2013. Pack might of pulled out that niner playoff game had he not got injured. The deal was only a 5.8 million dollar hit to cap this year. The third year of the contract offers flexibility to kind of re-evaluate the situation. Most reports around the league have Shields as an ascending corner. With a premium safety added everyone has to feel good about our secondary. Lot of talent there with depth. Good mix of veterans with nice future potential from younger talent. Burnett is the only problem I see there but all we can do is hope he turns it around this up-coming season. Maybe a move to strong safety would help. I keep on saying it but I will say it one more time. Speed at middle linebacker and a safety that can fly around and make plays will do wonders. Raji to nose and maybe another book-end that can get up field. Oh yeah, staying healthy would help too.

Maybe if Burnett along with Raji go back to their natural positions Strong safety and Nose tackle they will be able to turn it around.. Last year the defense started pretty good then they just disappeared.... If I'm not mistaken Raji was playing NT at the beginning of the year and he was doing pretty good. I think Nick Perry if he stays healthy will also have a better year.. The position I worry about its the middle Linebackers BJones is just not the answer. Hawk is not bad but we can still improve there.

To many negative people on this Shields deal. Did you guys pay any attention to the defense last yr ? No really did you? TT finally spent money bringing somebody good back vs overpaying some role player but it was to much? There's no guarantee that Shields woulda even came back to Green Bay if he hit the market and knowing out current GM I'm pretty sure he isn't going to entertain Byrd so losing Shields would've been a huge blow to an already suspect defense. It had to be done. Free agency starts tomorrow so hopefully he goes after Ward, or Whitner to feel the other safety spot and we can add Another pass rusher. Let's face it ..in order to get where we wanna go we will have to beat San Francisco or Seattle and we don't have the talent either team has on defense.

Maybe if Burnett along with Raji go back to their natural positions Strong safety and Nose tackle they will be able to turn it around.. Last year the defense started pretty good then they just disappeared.... If I'm not mistaken Raji was playing NT at the beginning of the year and he was doing pretty good. I think Nick Perry if he stays healthy will also have a better year.. The position I worry about its the middle Linebackers BJones is just not the answer. Hawk is not bad but we can still improve there.

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Yep. IMO they need to upgrade both linebacker positions. Not athletic enough there. If anyone disagree's they can just pop in the Thanksgiving Detroit Lion game.

I live in Seattle area. Sherman is talking 5 year 70 mill. Somebody will pay it if the Seahawks cant re-sign him to an extension this year

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And as true as it is that's absurd! I'd like to see how well Sherman would fair in a division with more than 1 or 2 good Wrs closer to 1. The NFC west isn't exactly loaded with receiving talent outside of Fitzgerald. Still think Patterson is better than Sherman.